A Rurouni's Promise
by elementwarrior
Summary: Kenshin leaves on a trip by himself in the middle of winter. Kaoru is heartbroken because she can't go with him. Kenshin promises that he will come back, but when a bad blizzard blows in, Kaoru begins to doubt that she will ever see him again.
1. Chapter 1

The morning was cold as Kaoru roused herself from an undaunted sleep. She pulled the warm winter sleeping kimono tighter about her slender body. Sleepily, she made her way to the shoji and pushed it open. The bitter cold winter wind nipped at her as she stepped outside. Her every breath came out as a white puff of air. The wood of the porch was cold against her bare feet.

Kaoru was thankful for the warmth of the kitchen as she stepped inside. Kenshin stood in the cooking area washing rice. "Good morning, Kaoru," Kenshin said, not looking up from his work. Kaoru didn't reply, only leaned her head against his shoulder. Kenshin turned around, drying his hands on his pants. He reached out and pulled her into his arms. Kaoru snuggled into his warm embrace. A tear trickled down her cheek as she thought about what was destined to happen that day.

Kenshin was going on a trip, a long trip to Kyoto by himself. She couldn't go with him. The only this he'd tell her was that it was a trip he needed to take.

"I'll be back Kaoru, that I will," Kenshin said, holding his wife tighter in his arms as she buried her face into his chest and sobbed quietly. Her black hair fell in around her face. Kenshin was at a loss of words. He hated to see her cry.

Finally, he loosened his grip on her and took the fish that were cooking off the fire. Soon he had laid out fish, rice, and tea on the eating table.

The two ate in silence, both unsure of what they should say to the other.

Kenshin tried not to look at Kaoru. He knew that if he were to look at her again, his heart would break. Her hair was uncombed, her gentle cheeks tear streaked, her eyes red and swollen from crying so much. Her forlorn look was almost unbearable.

Just then, Sano stepped inside followed by a sleepy Yahiko. Yahiko walked as though he had just been drugged. Both had arisen early to see Kenshin off and to comfort Kaoru.

The sun had barely peeked over the horizon, causing the snow to sparkle like a blanket of diamonds caressing the ground, the bare branches of the trees, parts of the fence, and any other object that might be protruding from the ground, as the four finished putting the breakfast utensils in their proper places.

Kenshin was dressed in a warm winter kimono and pants. He had put on a pair of thick, soft, woolen socks that kept his feet relatively warm.

Kaoru, now dressed for the day, threw her arms around his neck one last time. Kenshin returned the embrace, feeling as though he might be doing something wrong by going on the trip. Then, with a kiss, he was off. Right before he walked through the open gate, he turned and called to Kaoru and the others, "I will be back on New Year 's Eve, that I will. It is this one's promise, Kaoru."

Then, with slow, regretful steps, he exited through the gate.


	2. Chapter 2

The gate made a forlorn, eerie clatter as it swung in behind the rurouni. A deafening silence filled the air for a split second and the shock of reality set in. Kaoru then allowed the tears to fall like water from a fountain down her already tear-streaked face. "He said he'll be back, little missy," Sano said, trying to comfort her but to no avail.

"Are you just gonna cry like a little baby? Look, he said he'll be back so he'll be back," Yahiko said. Kaoru sent him a pitiful glare. She then turned and stalked off to her room. "You're a lot of help," Sano said, staring after Kaoru's retreating form.

"So what?" Yahiko snorted, crossing his arms in defiance. Then, quietly, he turned to look at the gate now resting on its cold metal hinges. A gust of cold wind blew ice crystals against Yahiko's bare cheeks, causing him to shiver slightly. The winter weather was finally getting to him.

Finally, he turned and headed toward the dojo saying, "I'm gonna go practice."

Sano watched as Yahiko walked away. He noted the soft crunch of the snow under the boy's every step. Yahiko's steps came slow, and agonizing in the already depressing environment around them.

Sano sighed into the bitter winter wind. His mind spun around and around in a horde of puzzling questions. Doubt began to engulf his mind like a dark torrent of angry, rushing water. Sano shook his head, as if trying to shake away every doubt and worry in his mind.

"_He promised. Kenshin always keeps his promises. Why would he not keep this one? No! He will keep his promise. He will return. For Kaoru's sake at the very least. Perhaps for us all,"_ Sano thought to himself, turning his back to the morning sun. The light that radiated from it was cold, dull and to Sano, seemed to reflect the emotions of the inhabitants of the Kamiya dojo. It cast weary shadows on the ground. A cold blast of icy cold wind rushed against Sano. She shivered slightly. Perhaps it was time he stopped moping and start looking for something else to do.

A noise coming from the dojo caught in Sano's ear. They were the shouts that Yahiko normally made when practicing. The sounds of Yahiko's shouts confirmed to Sano that the young boy had found his bokken and was practicing with it. His shouts, however, were cold and distant, tinged with anger, sadness, disappointment…Sano knew not.

Alas, he turned and headed toward the gate. It waited in the position that Kenshin had left it just moments before. Sano wondered where Kenshin was at that point in time. Then, he pushed the gate open and began walking toward town.

At times like this, there was only one place to go – the Akabeko!


	3. Chapter 3

"HYAH!" Yahiko shouted, letting the bokken fly in a downward swing. Again, and then a third time, he let the bokken take its course through the air to a parallel position above the ground.

The sound of the gate echoed like a distant parting call. _"Sano must be going to the Akabeko,"_ Yahiko mused, taking some time to think. Perhaps he had been a _little_ harsh to Kaoru…just a little.

"Stupid!" Yahiko shouted at the wall as if some unseen opponent stood before him. Finally, he plopped down in the middle of the practicing floor, arms crossed in frustration. His mind began to wander aimlessly about in a dark, depressed abyss. Why _had_ Kenshin left? For what reason did he leave? Why was this trip so important? Didn't Kenshin leave one time before? Was he still a rurouni?

"He's coming back," Yahiko growled, mentally slapping himself for even doubting that fact for a minute. Hadn't Kenshin _promised_ to come back? He hadn't ever gone back on his word before, why would he now?

Yahiko looked out the open door to the yard beyond. A soft snow had begun to drift down like downy white feathers. The wind sighed across the yard, causing the snowflakes to curl upward, and do somersaults as they made a slow decent to the cold, white carpeted earth.

Yahiko looked down at his lap, staring at the bokken dumbly for a while. A melancholy feeling embraced his soul as he thought of all he'd said to Kaoru, and of how Sano had been right – in his own way – about that being a bad thing to say at such a moment. "Guess I should go say sorry," he snorted reluctantly.

Suddenly, a growling rumbled from deep in his stomach. How long had he been sitting here? Ten minutes? Twenty? Surely not long enough to make him hungry again. He stood and walked to the door. He slid on a thin layer of ice that had accumulated on the deck. That hadn't been there before, and it wasn't cold enough to have frozen there immediately. Could it be possible that he had been sitting there for that long?

He looked up at the sky, now darkened by thick, bellowing clouds full of snow. An even darker rim of clouds hung in a mass out toward the north. It was possible that there was a storm on the way. How far was it to Kyoto? A day's walk, perhaps?

That, Yahiko knew, was a bit hopeful. Anyhow, it was already a lot later than he'd expected it to be. He almost laughed at the thought of him sitting there in the middle of an empty room, arguing with himself. Sano would've said he belonged in a "nut house".

Yahiko's stomach growled again, reminding him that it was still lunch time. The thought of Kaoru's cooking was very close to a nightmare, but he was hungry and just about anything was better that going hungry.

Finally, with a sigh, he left the practicing room for Kaoru's bedroom. He still had an apology to make, anyhow.


End file.
